“Second Nature is the garden and landscaping company that knows what is achievable when imaginative human design aligns with nature’s clever design. By intimately understanding and engaging both creative forces, the ordinary can be elevated to the extraordinary.”

THE VALUE OF GARDEN AND LANDSCAPE DESIGN

A well designed and expertly crafted garden will enhance your enjoyment of your outdoor spaces, add value to your property and endure for many years.

Whether you are looking to rejuvenate an existing garden or create a new one, our DESIGN team see opportunities, resolve problems and respond with a bespoke garden design. We have a proven track record of successfully responding to a wide range of different budgets, styles and site requirements with creative and practical solutions. We can help you transform your outdoor space into a place of beauty, sanctuary or pride. Second Nature gardens are gorgeous enough to win awards, be included in garden design tours and feature in magazines.

Call 09 524 6672 to talk to an expert garden and landscape designer about your ideas.

BESPOKE GARDEN DESIGN

A bespoke garden is crafted from ideas and visions beyond our immediate context. This requires an investment in time in which to explore these elusive ideas and transform them into a tangible form – a visual Garden Concept. This investment, known as ‘design’, gives you the luxury of clarity and transparency around what your garden will look like, before the construction or planting phases begin.

Find out about our Design Process or explore the links below for inspiration.

GARDEN CONCEPTS

Illustrative and informative drawings are needed to bring a garden’s design to life and to enable estimating, construction and planting.

Garden Concepts have various levels of detail: Schematic, Basic, Detailed, Planting. While a Detailed Garden Concept is ideal for complete clarity, sometimes a less detailed concept is adequate. Concepts can be developed in stages to assist budget and project management. Your beautifully designed Garden Concept may contain: photos, illustration, perspective drawings, to scale measurements, realistic 3D models… Our designers work within your budget to convey your concept and necessary detail in the most expressive way.

Below are a variety of Garden Concept types – click on the image for a larger view and the button for a description.

PLANTING DESIGN

The creation and implementation of Planting Designs is a Second Nature specialty.

Planting is one of the most glorious ways to transform even the humblest of properties. Whether you desire an urban sanctuary filled with flowers and foliage, seek to make a pared-back and contemporary statement or require an environmentally sensitive planting design for resource consent, our experienced planting designers can help. Our DESIGN team are plant experts: they know what will suit visually and thrive on your site.

Second Nature are specialists in responding to both architecture and the natural landscape in a manner that is inspired and harmonious. We foster collaborate relationships with architects, bringing to fruition the landscaping and planting aspects of their projects. We are just as dedicated to our home owners with smaller projects. There is nothing more rewarding than bringing a client’s dream garden to life, by transforming a jaded space into something beautiful with creative and appropriate planting.

Below are a variety of Planting Design types – click on the images for a larger view.

MEET THE DESIGN TEAM

Our DESIGN team includes Landscape Designers, Landscape Architects and Planting Specialists. They are all passionate about their work, respected for their creativity, highly skilled and down-to-earth. Their ability to connect and collaborate with clients as well as our BUILD and GROW teams, builders, architects and other industry professionals, makes for outstanding collaborative results.

Kerry Speirs
Lead Garden Designer

A talented, industry recognised garden designer and planting design specialist. Kerry has been designing for Second Nature since 2011 and manages the DESIGN team. Her gardens have featured in the Heroic Garden Festival and Auckland DesignFest, and in magazines including Urbis, Gardener, NZ Life & Leisure and In Your Backyard. She has background in floristry and a Diploma in Landscape Design.

Jeremy Parlane
Senior Landscape Architect

Jeremy is an award-wining landscape architect. He has designed residential, rural and commercial landscapes throughout New Zealand since 2007 and has been with Second Nature since 2018. Jeremy is a native planting design specialist. He has a passion for incorporating edibles within his projects, and implementing organic, sustainable practices – in line with Second Natures company vision.

Oraphanh Chanthaphonh
Intermediate Landscape Architect

Ora qualified as a Landscape Architect in 2014 and has since focused primarily on residential garden design. She is a specialist in ArchiCAD modelling and talented in the development of graphic representations using photoshop. Her life-like visualisations, bring 2D plans to life, enabling a clear understanding of concepts for client’s and contractors.

Corey Annandale
Junior Landscape Architect

Second Nature supports emerging designers who show enthusiasm and promise and the latest addition to the team is recent graduate Corey. While gaining his degree, he gained practical experience as a part-time planting and construction labourer for Second Nature. He completed his degree with an internship with the Second Nature DESIGN team. He now works with them and the BUILD team. He plans to specialise in construction design.

Chris Ballantyne
Founder

Chris is skilled and knowledgeable in construction design and ecology planting for large sites, in particular coastal and lifestyle gardens. He is recognised by his team, peers and clients as a landscape industry expert, with an undeniable passion for his craft and the environment. His talent for creating meaningful landscapes and expansive, naturalised, plant-scapes often sees him hands on in picturesque locations such as Great Barrier Island and Tutukaka. Although he is equally content in his own bio-diverse garden.

Clients
Garden Lovers

We couldn’t create outstanding gardens without the collaboration and investment of our clients. We appreciate the trust our clients put in us to create beautiful, enduring gardens. They share our deep passion for garden design, appreciate high quality construction and want to surround themselves with the beauty of nature. Our clients include architects, facility managers and owners of residential homes, commercial premises, beach houses and lifestyle blocks.

THE DESIGN PROCESS

Whatever help you need in creating a design for your dream garden, our talented DESIGN team can guide you through the garden design process. The value the team place on fostering enduring client and team relationships and their ongoing commitment to sustainable business and environmental practices reflect the company values that make Second Nature such a great company to work with.

The Second Nature Design Process has been developed with this in mind:

CONSULTATION

Your design journey with commences with an on-site Consultation to explore the synergies between your desired outcomes, budget and our creative expertise and professional service. The consultation is an idea generator and helps to get your project started.

FEEDBACK REPORT

Your consultation fee includes a descriptive, written Feedback Report outlining the wonderful ideas generated by our designers and how these could fulfill your wish list of desired design features and the mitigation of any existing site issues.

A Design Fee Estimate is then provided, if additional design services are needed. This clearly outlines the estimated cost for design fees for your project, along with clarifying the scope of the design work should you decide to proceed.

CONTRACT

Professionalism and integrity are a core part of the Second Nature Vision, therefore your design journey can only begin once a contract has been agreed and signed, formalising our arrangement and ensuring that the framework for an enjoyable and mutually beneficial relationship is set.

GARDEN CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT

Now for the exciting part – the fusion of your wishes, the site requirements and your garden designer’s expertise and creativity, visually communicated by a beautifully designed Garden Concept. Our designers begin by creating a conceptual draft for your review before, getting into the finer details. Through a series of reviews and revisions, we ensure the final design reflects your vision and aligns with the allocated budget for the creation of your garden.

IMPLEMENTATION

You can then choose to implement your design with the Second Nature BUILD and GROW teams, or a company of your choice.

Many designs involve built elements which our expert BUILD team can implement. However, should our construction capacity be limited at the time you wish to build your garden then you have the option of finding your own, suitably skilled contractor to work under the guidance of our Design team.

Our GROW team includes experienced horticulturalists and gardeners who can deliver the soft landscaping aspects of your project, including the supply and installation of the plants your designer has specified in your plans and also provide ongoing Garden Maintenance if required.

Call 09 524 6672 to talk to an expert garden and landscape designer about your ideas.